Baked Turkey Leg with Mushroom Gravy

A whole baked turkey is one of the traditional Christmas dishes. What a sensational enjoyment it would be when tasting the tender turkey meat going with some favourite salad.

It’s quite challenging to bake a whole turkey evenly with moist meat inside without burnt outside anyway. So before gathering guts to bake a whole bird, I tried to experiment with a turkey leg. The dish turned out really wonderful and more delicious than I thought. The turkey meat was tender enough, going really well with the delicious mushroom gravy. Best of all, this dish costs a few dollars, guaranteed with 100% success rate.

I love eating turkey not only in festive seasons, but also at anytime I think of it. Here’s the dish that I used a turkey leg with thigh that weighted 1.6 kg, enough to feed my whole family of three. My daughter dressed up the salmon salad for us. Yum…. I guess I would bake it again when the warm Christmas comes down under in two weeks’ time as this dish would take shorter baking time without heating up my kitchen too much.

Baked Turkey Leg with Mushroom Gravy Recipe (Printable recipe)
By Christine's Recipes
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 100 mins
Yield: 2 to 3 serves

Ingredients:

• 1.6kg turkey leg, with thigh
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 + 1/4 tsp salt（separate to be used）
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated black pepper
• 2 tsp garlic, crushed
• 3 stalks fresh rosemary
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaf
• 1 red sweet potato, chopped into chunks
• 3 stalks celery, roughly chopped
• 2 potatoes, cut into cubes
• 1 onion, cut into chunks
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 3 Tbsp white wine

Ingredients of mushroom sauce:

• 8 mushrooms, sliced
• sauce from baked turkey
• 1/2 cup chicken stock or water
  

Thickening:

• 2 tsp cornflour
• 2 Tbsp water

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190C (375F).
2. Cut away the thigh from the leg at joint with a sharp knife. Squeeze lemon juice and rub evenly on turkey. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt, freshly grated black pepper and dried thyme leaf, rub over the surface of turkey.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet until melted. Cook garlic and onion over medium-low heat until softened. Add celery, sweet potato, potato. Sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon of salt, combine well and cook for a while. Add rosemary, pour white wine. When it just boils, transfer to a baking tray in a single layer, top with marinated turkey, cover with a greased foil. Bake for 1 hour. Remove foil, continue to cook for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until turkey is tender. Test the turkey with a fork or needle, if juices run clear, it’s cooked through.
4. Remove from oven. Carefully drain out sauce from tray and sift out excess oil. Let turkey rest about 10 minutes before cutting.
5. Cook gravy for turkey: melt 1 tablespoon of butter and sauté the sliced mushrooms until softened. Pour in sifted sauce and 1/2 cup of water or chicken stock. Bring it to a boil. Slow heat and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add thickening and cook to your preference.
6. Carve turkey and serve with salad or any vegetables you like. Ladle mushroom gravy on top of turkey.